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Retaining Wall for Water? Why Not?

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Water Applications

Retaining Walls for Water

Live near a beach, a lake, river or stream? Then you probably know a little something about erosion, flooding and potential water damage to your home. One way to help remove these potential problems from around your home is to build a retaining wall. These “water” retaining walls are built to withstand the water and will help preserve, maintain and divert water away from the areas you want to protect – your home. Allan Block works well in this type of environment but these walls may need a bit more planning and design than a “standard” retaining wall. Check out the information they have on Water Applications before you get started – then maybe an engineer.

If a “water” retaining wall is what you need, then go with Allan Block – they have all the answers.

-Danelle

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Where is the Water Going?

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Improper water management is a leading cause of wall failures. To help mitigate this potential problem, proper water management is critical throughout the life of your retaining wall. In February, Danelle touched upon the planning that must be done in order to direct water away from your retaining wall using swales, berms, and other grading.

Water Management

Water Management

In addition to Danelle’s suggestions, the secondary line of defense is the minimum 1 ft (0.3 m) of clean stone behind the wall. This drainage column allows incidental water to migrate downward to the base of the wall. Once the water makes it to the base of the wall, it enters the drain pipe. The water is then expelled to daylight through a vent. As noted on the Water Management page of the Allan Block website, the details require a toe drain for walls over 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.

Once the wall is built correctly with proper drainage, the owner must assume responsibility for the water management for the life of the structure. If future site improvements involve grading the site differently, keep in mind how water may flow and ensure that it does not flow directly toward the wall. If new gutters are put on the house, or a new sprinkler system is installed, avoid having this water pool near the top of the wall. Taking care to avoid water management issues will prolong the life of the retaining wall and keep it maintenance free.

Tom

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Don’t Let a Rainy Day Spoil Your Project

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Water Management

Water Management

Building a retaining wall can be easy. Just a few simple steps and some thoughtful planning can make just about any wall design a reality. A common step in the planning process that is often overlooked is managing the water on the site. The success of your wall project can depend on how well this is done. So where does the water go?

The idea is to keep the water that flows on the site to travel away from or around the retaining wall – not through or behind the wall. This causes extra pressure and weight on the wall and could potentially cause the wall to fail. To avoid this type of scenario simply plan an appropriate path for this water to travel.

When designing your wall, take a look at the layout of your entire site. Where does the water flow? Once the wall is in, where will that water go? You may need to incorporate swales or berms to deter the water from heading toward the wall. The Allan Block Landscape Walls Guide has some good information on this. Click here to check it out.

Aside from where the water goes after the wall is built, you may also want to take some time to think about water while building and staging your materials. If you get a heavy down pour during construction, you definitely want to make sure that water travels away from your wall.

With the water on your project managed properly you can rest easy knowing that your wall will stand tall and stay dry for a long time to come.

-Danelle

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